Almost everyone owns an iPhone these days, and most likely uses the help of the Siri feature on a daily basis. Even I assumed she was a computer-generated voice, until voiceover actor Susan Bennett of Atlanta came out and claimed she is the voice of the world’s virtual assistant.
Although Apple hasn’t confirmed whether this is true, it certainly seems legitimate. In addition to friends and co-workers agreeing Siri uses her voice, an expert in “audio-forensics” studied both Siri’s and Bennett’s voices, and believes they are exactly the same.
Bennett has had many years in the voiceover business. Besides the iPhone, her voice appears on many other cellphones as well as commercials. She even directs travelers on GPS systems and passengers flying with Delta Airlines. But, for years Bennett left people wondering who Siri really was.
In 2005, Bennett was a client for an agency called GM Voices. A software company, ScanSoft, who later became Nuance Communications, contacted GM in search of the perfect voice for a new project. GM recommended Bennett, who immediately got the job. She began recording with them hours upon hours, but never knew what her voice would actually be used for. What is significant about Nuance Communications is that they are known to supply Apple with certain technology for Siri.
When the iPhone 4S was released in 2011, Bennett herself did not buy one, but many of her friends did. They instantly recognized her voice, and told her to listen to clips of the famous Siri. Once she heard the electronic assistant’s voice, she knew it was her. Unfortunately, many phone industries that use voice help like Siri tend to keep who provide their voiceovers a secret. This means Apple may never confirm if Bennett really is Siri. But, for as long as Bennett has been in the industry, it’s possible we hear her voice somewhere at some point almost every day.
Anyone who has recently downloaded the new iOS7 software to their iPhone knows Siri now comes in an array of new voices, such as a British man’s. This means her voice career as Siri is beginning to come to a close. But this is a normal evolutionary thing any brand of phone goes through. According to an interview with Indiana’s Fox59, Bennett predicts that technology will soon allow people to record their own voice and have the ability to talk to themselves. As for now, remember the next time you get mad at Siri, think of how Susan Bennett would feel if you cursed her out.